Connector for Modular Rack Assembly

ABSTRACT

A rack assembly has two support frames and at least one shelf that are secured to the support frames by connecting assemblies. Each connecting assembly comprises a well secured to a medial surface of each vertical tube of the support frame, and a hook that extends from each end of each shelf, with each hook having an opening extending therethrough. The connecting assembly also includes a connector that is seated inside each well, each connector having a top plate that has an elongated opening, the connector also having a body that is sized and configured to fit inside a well, the body defining two wings with a space between the wings, and wherein each wing has a bump positioned in the center of the inner surface of each wing that faces the space. Each hook is inserted through the elongated opening of a corresponding connector with the bump on each wing fitted inside the opening of the hook to retain the hook inside the body of the connector.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a rack, and in particular, to a modularrack that may be freely assembled into different shapes according to thedesired placement space.

2. Description of the Related Art

Shoe racks have become very common in homes. Conventional shoe racks aretypically provided in a fixed shape and orientation. Consumers mayassemble and combine shoes racks into a fixed shape with tools accordingto instructional drawings and fittings provided by manufacturers afterpurchase, or purchase a fully-assembled shoe rack for direct use.Although all of these conventional shoe racks perform the basicfunctions of a shoe rack, they cannot be freely assembled, dis-assembledand expanded, thereby being monotonous in shape and inconvenient in use.

Efforts have been made to provide modular shoe racks that may beassembled and dis-assembled. These shoe racks incorporate connectorsthat allow for the convenient coupling of shelves to support frames.However, these connectors often suffer from a number of drawbacks. Theprimary drawback experienced by many of these connectors is that they donot provide a sufficiently secure or stable connection, so that theassembled rack itself is not stable. In addition, traditional shoe racksrequire a back frame to add a level of stability. The addition of thisback frame adds material and increases manufacturing cost.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To overcome the above-mentioned deficiencies, an object of the presentinvention is to provide an improved connector for use with a modularrack that may be easily assembled and dis-assembled without the use ofany tools.

To accomplish these objectives, the present invention provides a rackthat has support frames that are provided with connecting assemblies,Hooks are provided on the shelves, so that the support frames canconnect and disconnect with the shelves conveniently. When multiplelayers of connecting members of different vertical heights are providedon the support frames, a multi-layer rack may be freely combined,assembled and disassembled conveniently.

In addition, the present invention provides a connecting assembly thatcomprises a well secured to a medial surface of each vertical tube ofthe support frame, and a hook that extends from each end of each shelf,with each hook having an opening extending therethrough. The connectingassembly also includes a connector that is seated inside each well, eachconnector having a top plate that has an elongated opening, theconnector also having a body that is sized and configured to fit insidea well, the body defining two wings with a space between the wings, andwherein each wing has a bump positioned in the center of the innersurface of each wing that faces the space. Each hook is inserted throughthe elongated opening of a corresponding connector with the bump on eachwing fitted inside the opening of the hook to retain the hook inside thebody of the connector.

Each wing of the body can also be provided with a lip that extends alongthe bottom edge of each wing, with each wing resiliently biased againstan inner wall of the well to secure the connector inside the well.

Thus, the connecting assembly of the present invention provides twosecurement mechanisms that enable the shelves to be stably secured tothe support frames. The biased wings of the connector secure theconnector inside the corresponding well, and the bumps in the hookssecure the hooks (and their shelves) to the corresponding connector.

In addition, the connecting assembly of the present invention providesfor a more secure connection and added stability, so that a back frameis not needed. By eliminating the back frame, less material is requiredand manufacturing and shipping costs are lowered.

Compared with the conventional racks, the rack of the present inventionmay be assembled into various shapes at will without using any tools,and both the assembly and disassembly thereof are convenient.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a rack according to the presentinvention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the rack of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the area labeled A in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4A is a side perspective view of a connector that is used with therack of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4B is a bottom perspective view of the connector of FIG. 4A.

FIG. 4C is a bottom view of the connector of FIG. 4A.

FIG. 4D is an end view of the connector of FIG. 4A.

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of a multi-layer rack formed by assembling aplurality of the racks of FIG. 1 one on top of the other.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following detailed description is of the best presently contemplatedmodes of carrying out the invention. This description is not to be takenin a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustratinggeneral principles of embodiments of the invention. The scope of theinvention is best defined by the appended claims.

Even though the present invention is illustrated as being used as a shoerack, it is also possible to use the rack of the present invention forpurposes other than for storing or organizing shoes.

As shown in FIGS. 1-4, a basic module of the rack according to thepresent invention can include two support frames 1 and two shelves 2connected between the two support frames 1. Each support frame 1comprises two identical vertical tubes 101 and two horizontal tubes 102for connecting the two vertical tubes 101. Two connecting assemblies 3are provided on the medial surface or wall 109 (i.e., the surface orwall that faces the opposite vertical tube 101 of the same support frame1) of each vertical tube 101. The vertical height of the locations ofthe connecting assemblies 3 on the two vertical tubes 101 are the same;in other words, the location of the connecting assemblies 3 on the leftvertical tube 101 are at the same vertical level as that of theconnecting assemblies 3 correspondingly disposed on the medial face ofthe right vertical tube 101. Each connecting assembly 3 includes a well8 that is directly secured (e.g., by welding or by molded thereto) tothe medial wall 109, a connector 9 that is adapted to be seated insidethe well 8, and a hook 4. Each end of each shelf 2 is provided with twohooks 4 for detachable connection with corresponding connectors 9, sothat the shelves 2 can be detachably connected between two supportframes 1.

As shown in FIG. 3, each well 8 can include four surrounding walls thatdefine a square or rectangular cross-section. Each well 8 is welded onthe medial face of the corresponding vertical tube 101 (i.e., facing theopposite vertical tube 101). The hooks 4 are welded on lower surfaces ofthe end frames of the shelves 2, slightly offset from the cornerthereof, and each hook 4 is adapted to be fitted into a correspondingconnector 9. A hole 401 extends through the middle of each hook 4.

Referring to FIGS. 4A-40, the connector 9 has a clip-shapedconfiguration having a top plate 901 and a body 902 extending below thetop plate 901 in a recessed manner such that a small border or flange903 is defined between the walls of the body 902 and the outer edges ofthe top plate 901. The body 902 is sized and configured to fit inside awell 8, and the top plate 901 is sized and configured so that the flange903 can sit on the top of the top edges of the well 8. The body 902 hasa V-shaped section cut out from it so that the body 902 defines twowings 904 and 905 with the V-shaped space 906 between them. A U-shapedflap 907 is cut from each wing 904 and 905, and a bump 908 is placed inthe center of the inner surface of the flap 907 that faces the space906. A lip 910 extends along the bottom edge of each wing 904, 905. Thetop plate 901 also has an elongated opening 909.

In use, a connector 9 is inserted into a well 8. This is accomplished bypressing on the wings 904, 905 so that the bottom lips 910 clear the topopening of the well 8 and are inserted into the well 8. The hook 4 canthen be inserted through the elongated opening 909 until the bumps 908on each wing 904, 905 are fitted into the opening 401 along the hook 4.Thus, the connector assembly 3 provides two securing mechanisms: thelips 910 that are normally biased outward against an inner wall of thewell 8 to secure the connector 9 inside the well 8, and the bumps 908that are fitted inside the opening 401.

To remove the hook 4 from the connector 9, the user simply pulls thehook 4 out of the elongated opening 909. The connector 9 can also bepulled out of the corresponding well 8.

There are two horizontal tubes 102 on each support frame 1 forconnecting the two vertical tubes 101, One of the horizontal tubes 102is connected with the top medial faces of the two vertical tubes 101,respectively, while the other horizontal tube 102 is connected with thelower medial faces of the two vertical tubes 101. The connectingassemblies 3 disposed on the medial faces of the vertical tubes 101 arelocated at connecting portions between the two horizontal tubes 102 andthe vertical tubes 101.

Insertion holes 103 are provided at upper ends of all vertical tubes 101forming the support frames 1, while threaded holes (not shown) areprovided at lower ends of the vertical tubes 101, The insertion holes103 are sealed by detachably connected plugs 5. Each threaded hole atthe bottom of the vertical tubes 101 is detachably connected with a foot6.

The shelves 2 can be conventional shelves, or can be the shelvesillustrated in U.S. Pub. No. 2011/0290740-A1, whose disclosure isincorporated by this reference as though set forth fully herein.

The present invention provides a unique mechanical interlocking assemblywhich allows two support frames 1 to support two or more shelves 2 in astable manner without the use of any further rear or front support orbar that would otherwise be needed to couple the two support frames 1.

As shown in FIG. 5, two or more support frames 1 can be connected in astacked fashion (i.e., one connected above the other), the top of eachvertical tube 101 of the lower support frame 1 is connected with acorresponding vertical tube 101 of the upper support frame 1 by aconnector 7 that comprises a screw rod 701 (which screws into thethreaded hole at the bottom of the vertical tube 101) and a connectionpeg 702 (which can be inserted into the insertion holes 101 at the topof the lower support frame 1).

While the description above refers to particular embodiments of thepresent invention, it will be understood that many modifications may bemade without departing from the spirit thereof.

1-7. (canceled)
 8. A method for assembling a rack assembly, comprising: providing a rack assembly, comprising two support frames, each support frame comprising two identical vertical tubes and at least one horizontal tube for connecting the two vertical tubes, and at least one shelf positioned between the two support frames and coupled to the support frames by at least one connecting assembly, wherein each connecting assembly comprises: a well secured to a medial surface of each vertical tube; a hook that extends from each end of each shelf; and a connector that is seated inside each well, each connector having a top plate that has a border, and an elongated opening provided on the top plate, with the entire opening offset from the border of the top plate, the connector also having a body that is sized and configured to fit inside the well, with the body including at least one planar wing that defines a receiving space; and inserting each hook through the elongated opening of a corresponding connector and having each hook seated inside the receiving space of a respective body.
 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the hook includes a first coupling mechanism, and the body includes a second coupling mechanism, further including the step of the first coupling mechanism engaging the second coupling mechanism when the hook is inserted through the elongated opening of a corresponding connector.
 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the wing has a bump positioned in the center of the wing that faces the space.
 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the hook has an opening, and further including the step of fitting the bump on the wing inside the opening of the hook when the hook is inserted through the elongated opening of a corresponding connector.
 12. The method of claim 8, wherein the body extends below the top plate in a recessed manner such that a flange is defined between the walls of the body and outer edges of the top plate.
 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the top plate is sized and configured so that the flange sits on the top of top edges of the well.
 14. The method of claim 8, wherein the space is a V-shaped space.
 15. The method of claim 11, wherein the wing has a U-shaped flap cut therefrom, and further including the step of positioning the bump in the center of the flap that faces the V-shaped space.
 16. The method of claim 8, wherein a lip extends along the bottom edge of the wing, with the wing resiliently biased against an inner wall of the well.
 17. The method of claim 8, wherein the body extends below the top plate in a recessed manner such that a flange is defined between the walls of the body and outer edges of the top plate, and the top plate is sized and configured so that the flange sits on the top of top edges of the well. 